h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Can't remember that either. It's 17 years since I did physics A-level, and I've not needed to know since.

Institute of Science?


Geggs

Nope... What is needed if a metre is going to be a metre, not matter where you are in the world? Or a second? Or a Kilogram? Or (and this is a BIG clue imho) - film speed....

International Standards?


Geggs

SI? Système International?

Not systeme, It's the French word for Standard, which I can't remember, and we're not allowed to Google for the answer.

SI is an abreviation of the french term. In English it is the International System of Units and in french it is Le Systeme International d'unites. There are seven base units from which all other measurements are derived. The base units are metres (m), kilograms (kg), seconds (s), kelvin (K), amperes (A), candela (cd) and moles (mol). These represent length, mass, time, absolute temperature, current, luminous intensity and the amount of a substance present respectively.

Right...

Geggs gets DGI +1 for pointing the right direction....

Mikey gets... Hmmm DGI +1 for an interesting expansion... hadn't heard of Candela's before.

Interestingly the Acronym for this body does not have the letters in the same order as the words it seems to represent... And its NOT because the acronym refers to the French version.. I can't, yet, find out why its in the order it is in....

Well, we all know there are more ASCIIs than ANSIs - but fairly sure they're in the same order.

The German DIN ?

Candela, I believe, is derived from the British 'candlepower', a measurement derived from the amount of light a candle provides.

As for DIN, is that related to photographic film 'speed', otherwise known as ASA?

And no, I've forgotten what ASA stands for as well!



GT

DIN is the German equivalent of British Standards, US Standards & no doubt others, and covers all sorts of things.

What we really need is a Standard Standard. Oh, we have one - ISO

Is ISO the answer then?

Rod - ISO is the answer to the international body - stands for (apparently):
International Organization for Standardization - so Correct +3 to Rod.

An additional DGI +1 to anyone who can come up with a convincing argument as to why it is ISO rather than IOS...

Oh, and the NATIONAL body has been mentioned but NOT given as an answer, yet...

Because it sounds like the Greek prefix 'iso', 'the same'. Pun intended?

y'know I'm not convinced, but it IS the right answer, apparently... so DGI +1

The national body, is it US Standards?


Geggs

It IS a US body - and does define US standards.... it has been mentioned before, but not given as an answer...

ANSI?


Geggs

Yup Geggs, you got it. so +3 to you.

Now... State of play:

What is a Smoot? - a Measurement of Length.

Where, when and how was one first used? Remember what spawned this QI... It was first used at MIT. What was it used to measure? How was the measurement done?


How long is a Smoot? Height of Mr. Smoot - but what was that Height?

Who was it named after? Mr. Smoot - but what was his full name? And what were they at the time? University Types

What "national" body did they become head of? - clue - national meaning US.. ANSI

What related International body did they become president of? ISO

So all that's needed now is:

What was the full name of Mr. Smoot?
How tall was he at the time of the "invention" of the Smoot unit - thus defining the Smoot?
When was a Smoot first used? (year please)
What was it first used to measure (apart from Mr. Smoot's height)?
How was the measurement done?

Hmm, clues....
Mr. Smoot was/is the cousin of a Nobel laureate called George.
He was just under today's Average height...
The Space Race hadn't yet started...
A man made object was measured....

I think that's about enough for the moment

Anybody want more clues? Or should I wrap this up?

is a smoot an negative or reducing measurement

like how much a man shrinks in old age????